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NBA to Seattle: Maloof family reportedly wants to maintain some control after sale of Sacramento Kings

Kings Sale Basketball

James Frazier, right, holds a sign alongside his mother Karen Roth before an NBA basketball game between the Sacramento Kings and the Dallas Mavericks in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. Word of the possible sale of the team to investor Chris Hansen who would move the franchise to Seattle has Kings fan showing their support with hopes they will remain in Sacramento. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

A potential snag has emerged in sale talks between the Sacramento Kings and a group seeking to move the team to Seattle, The Seattle Times reported Thursday.

The Maloof family, which currently owns the Kings, wants to maintain a voice in the NBA team's operations after a sale, a league source told the Times.

Yahoo! Sports reported Wednesday that the Maloofs would retain a small percentage of the team if it is sold to a group led by Seattle hedge fund manager Chris Hansen and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. The Times reported that there are questions whether the Maloofs' percentage would be large enough to give them input in making decisions.

Yahoo! on Wednesday characterized negotiations as nearing completion, and that the Kings would be sold for around $500 million, which would be an NBA record. Later reports by other media outlets said a deal wasn't close.

View full sizeIn this Dec. 26, 2009, photo, from left, brothers Phil, George, Gavin and Joe Maloof, owners of the Sacramento Kings, watch an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers in Sacramento, Calif. People with knowledge of the situation said Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013, that investor Chris Hansen has contacted the Maloof family about buying the Kings. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

The Sacramento Bee, citing a source close to the Maloof family, reported Thursday that the Maloofs don't necessarily want to sell but will entertain offers. The Bee's report also said that a sale price has not been discussed and that the family hasn't spoken with Hansen since before Jan. 1.

The Hansen-Ballmer group would apply to the NBA to move the Kings to Seattle for the 2013-14 season if it can close a deal before the league's March 1 relocation deadline, according to reports. The team, which would be renamed the Sonics, would play at KeyArena for two seasons before moving into a new, $490 million arena to be built in downtown Seattle.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson has said he would do all he could to try to find a buyer with a Sacramento connection to possibly purchase the team and keep it in California's capital city.

In 2011, the Kings appeared determined to move to Anaheim, Calif., before Johnson convinced the NBA to give the city one last chance to help finance an arena to replace aging Sleep Train Arena. The Sacramento City Council approved the arena deal last March.

A month later, the Maloofs backed out of a tentative the deal. Then the city and the team ceased negotiations, reigniting fears the franchise could relocate.

More recently, the Maloofs were said to be deep in negotiations to move the franchise to Virginia Beach, Va. Those talks appeared to have collapsed last week.

View full sizeA Sacramento Kings fan Geral McDaniel displays his feelings toward the Maloof family, the owners of the team, before the Kings' NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. Word of the possible sale of the team to a group that would move the franchise to Seattle has Kings fan showing their support with hopes they will remain in Sacramento. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

The Kings played at home Thursday night, losing to the Dallas Mavericks 117-112 in overtime. Attendanced was announced at 14,011, a few thousand below capacity.

The Maloofs, who have not shown up in their usual courtside seats in recent weeks, did not attend Thursday's game.

Only a handful of signs such as "Sactown Needs This Team," ''Here We Stay" and "Our Town, Our Team" could be seen. Another read: "Accepting money for Kings relief fund." No derogatory shouts or chants could be heard, either, as has happened in years past.

"It's definitely going to be a distraction," Kings coach Keith Smart said before the game. "But we're pros. We've got to figure out a way how to separate the two and then get ready to play."